When we arrived at my friend’s home in Shanxi just after midnight, someone opened the door to greet us. The room was dark, but judging by the voice, I knew it was her mother. A flashlight turned on, and the humble apartment brightened. I immediately handed a box of special New Year cakes to her mom, as it is a Chinese practice to bring a gift to the host. She then explained that the electricity in some of the rooms was out but should be fixed in the upcoming days. I didn’t think much of it until the next morning when I realized that meant no hot water for a shower.
Three days later, still with no electricity, my hair was so oily that I probably could have fried an egg on it. I glared enviously at my friend who still had perfectly clean-looking hair. In despair, I dunked my head in a basin of hot water that I boiled from a kettle. Later on in the week, the electricity came back on, but oddly the hot water did not. Going without a shower for several days soon became the norm. I even started mimicking my friend’s habit of re-wearing outfits. At least, she had an excuse since she only brought four changes of clothes home. I, who packed my entire closet, had no such justification.
The week leading up to Chinese New Year was spent watching hours upon hours of television. To my friend, who had spent the past three months holed away in the library, this was a real treat. There wasn’t a show that didn’t catch her interest. She flipped back and forth between dating games, Chinese historical dramas and a spinoff of Friends. A favorite of hers was a show based on the classical Chinese novel, Journey to the West, in which a Monkey King, born from a stone, possesses mystical powers.
While it became evident that Americans and Chinese both enjoy spending lazy days on the couch watching TV, I noticed the big difference is in what we choose to snack on. As there were no processed foods in the apartment, my friend munched on sunflower seeds and fruit. Despite eating frequently, her diet consisted only of fresh foods. Freshest of all were the pig feet cooked for dinner on New Year’s Eve…